Chapter 1308: Ancestral Traditions (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
In private relationships, Chu Yao has always been a soft-hearted person.
As long as it doesn't affect the lord's ambitions for supremacy, he will try his best to help his old friends. He waved his hand and said, "Why do we need to say such things between us? I will do my best to help in any way I can. As for your health, you might as well let a doctor take a look."
Chu Yao is a man who values his promises.
Due to his own circumstances, the marriage agreement from back then was no longer valid, but he could still make up for it in other ways. How could he refuse the arrival of an old friend's descendant? Chu Yao took off his personal keepsake and had his guards take it to invite a physician from the medical field to his door. Afterward, he had the guest courtyard cleaned.
The old friend was flattered by this kind of hospitality.
A pair of tiger eyes, brimming with the marks of time, were suddenly filled with tears.
He turned away and blinked to hold back his tears, so as not to be impolite in front of others: "Alas, I was the one who wronged you back then."
I couldn't offer help when things were tough back then, but now I'm receiving kindness from them.
Oh, it really makes him feel ashamed.
"When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a person, it first tests their will and strengthens their body... Tsk, if all the trials destined for you are just for a moment of light at the end of the tunnel, then it's worth it." Over the years, Chu Yao has long since let go of the past, and mentioning that experience now stirs no emotion. Perhaps his body has actively diminished the pain, or perhaps his willpower has been cultivated to perfection, making him more resolute than ever before.
Nightmares no longer frighten him.
"This is my destined calamity, how can I blame others?" Worried that his old friend hadn't eaten yet, he instructed the head chef to prepare fine wine and delicacies, and then sent someone to fetch his friend from his temporary lodgings. When the person arrived, the physician had just finished his diagnosis, and the situation was not optimistic.
The physician was putting away the pulse pillow: "The chronic illness is in the meridians of the dantian, and it is an old injury. When he was young, he could suppress it with martial energy, but as he got older, the condition of his body deteriorated, and the hidden dangers were exposed. There are at least six kinds of martial energy entangled in the old man's dantian, and the foundation of the martial hall has collapsed, which has seriously damaged his lifespan. If it is not treated, his time will come in the next two months."
His old friend admired him greatly.
He had recovered quickly from injuries in his early years, and his activities and cultivation were unaffected, so he naively thought he was fully healed. It wasn't until a particularly dangerous breakthrough that he realized how many hidden dangers he had left behind. Eradicating them completely was difficult, and year after year he dragged it out until now, as his lifespan was about to end. He wasn't surprised to hear that his time was up in the next two months; it was largely in line with his prediction.
Seeing that Chu Yao was about to say something, his old friend chuckled and said, "You don't need to be sad. I knew this day would come seven or eight years ago. My children and grandchildren are quite filial. The only thing I'm worried about is my troublesome great-granddaughter. Wu Hui has promised to take care of her for me. What regrets do I have? I'm over eighty years old. I've lived two or three lifetimes, that's enough."
How many people can live to be over eighty in chaotic times?
As a martial artist, his talent could be described as mediocre. In his youth, he was often anxious, constantly on edge, worried that he might die a violent death, or be wrapped in a horse's hide. Looking back now, how many extraordinary talents of his time had died before him?
As for enemies?
Not to mention the weeds on the graves, there are very few graves left at all.
Chu Yao said, "Why be pessimistic? Why not listen to the doctor's advice?"
My old friend choked for a moment.
Physicians, a special profession that has only emerged in recent years, are characterized by their rarity and mystery.
My old friend had lived in seclusion for many years. As a commoner, he was only slightly better off than ordinary people and had no access to medical practitioners. He had only heard about how skilled medical practitioners were, but had no idea how skilled they were, let alone that they could cure his chronic illness.
The physician said, “My medical skills are not proficient, and I am not confident that I can completely cure this stubborn disease. However, it is not difficult to remove the strange martial energy from the dantian. With the help of nourishing and strengthening medicine, as long as you do not fight with others and damage your meridians, you can extend your life by at least seven or eight years. If you make a breakthrough in your cultivation or my medical skills improve, I may be able to cure it completely.”
First, stay alive; then your medical skills and abilities will improve.
With just one breakthrough, living to 100 is within reach.
My old friend was so overjoyed that he was almost speechless.
This state did not last long.
He was a seasoned veteran, having seen countless storms and waves. He gritted his teeth and suppressed his joy. Using all his remaining composure, he choked out to Chu Yao and the physician, "I have no way to repay your life-saving grace. Please accept my bow!"
He then stood up and gave a deep bow.
The two men, naturally, were not impressed: "What are you doing?"
For Chu Yao, old friends are extremely precious.
For him, being alive and well is a source of comfort.
Let's use the newly kindled fire to brew new tea.
Enjoy poetry and wine while you're young.
With his great-granddaughter having a reliable support, and his own lifespan extended from two months to seven or eight years, the gloom weighing on his heart was swept away by an invisible breeze. He felt as if the sky was clear, the sun was shining, and the breeze was gentle, with even the air carrying a sweet fragrance.
When you're in a good mood, your mind naturally becomes more open.
The guard came in and reported that the guest had been received.
The old friend was overjoyed and said, "Wu Hui, come and see my treasure."
After saying that, he suddenly remembered something, and his smile became more mysterious: "When you see the person, don't be too surprised."
These words piqued Chu Yao's curiosity.
Over the years, he had seen countless people of all kinds, and regardless of beauty, ugliness, weight, or build, they were all just skeletons wrapped in skin, nothing special to him. What was so special about his old friend's great-granddaughter that could surprise him so much? Until he saw her.
"Come, greet your Uncle Chu."
Back in the Northern Desert battlefield, his son was his deputy general, and he was the first person Chu Yao knew; the two were equals. Later, he met Chu Yao and immediately took a liking to this friend despite their age difference.
The father and son each had their own relationship with Chu Yao; the great-granddaughter could call Chu Yao either "uncle" or "great-uncle." The old friend, in a good mood, wanted to take advantage of Chu Yao by placing him a generation below him…
Chu Yao's young and handsome face doesn't look too old.
Even so, Chu Yao was momentarily stunned.
Uncle, that's the highest seniority he's ever heard of.
When the girl turned her face, Chu Yao felt that she looked familiar and for a moment forgot how to respond: "Your great-granddaughter looks familiar."
The young girl also bowed gracefully: "This junior greets Uncle."
The old friend took his great-granddaughter's hand: "Take a closer look?"
Chu Yao looked at her carefully a few more times: "She..."
His old friend knew immediately that he recognized her and exclaimed, "This child has inherited the qualities of her maternal grandparents."
He was also an old friend of Chu Yao.
The State of Chu had three outstanding figures.
Apart from Chu Yao, the other two met tragic ends. One had their entire family wiped out, the other had their property confiscated, and their surviving descendants were scattered in foreign lands, their fates unknown. Perhaps it was fate, but he encountered one of their descendants, who married his grandson.
However, the hardships he endured during his exile severely weakened his body, and he passed away not long after giving birth to his daughter. His grandson also fell ill with grief and died within two years. His great-granddaughter was orphaned, and her relatives were also struggling financially, so his kind-hearted friend took the child in and raised her.
The child is precocious and has excellent comprehension.
If not for being born a woman, she might have been another brilliant scholar of the second rank, a true prodigy. But excessive intelligence is often detrimental; those who are too clever tend to overwork themselves and deplete their energy. Her old friend, however, wished she were a little less perceptive, less sensitive to external harm.
If you don't feel pain, you won't feel too much pain.
Ignorance can sometimes be a blessing.
Chu Yao gestured for the girl to come forward, raised his hand to touch her wrist bone, and condensed a wisp of literary energy at his fingertips: "Can you feel anything?"
The girl nodded: "Yes."
"Her bone age is so young that even people with ordinary talent can't sense it, yet she still has it—it's such a pity. If it were a few years earlier..." Judging from her hairstyle, the girl has already reached marriageable age, and her bone age shows that she is nineteen years old. Too much talent is wasted at this age. If she could start cultivating at the best time, she might really be a second-grade upper-middle aptitude. Right now, we can only try to make up for it.
The old friend said, "It's my fault for holding her back."
Information from the common people was scarce. Despite the great commotion caused by Chen Tang in the Northwest, his army's invasion of the Southwest, and his current unstoppable advance towards conquering the entire territory, the lowest levels of society knew very little. His seclusion was genuine; news from the streets was often outdated, so he learned of things very late. He only found out about Chu Yao's resurgence when a friend visited and mentioned it to him casually. Hearing Chu Yao's words, his regret was understandable. Ironically, the calmest reaction from those present was that of the young woman herself.
She said, “Why should my great-grandfather blame himself? Everyone has their own destiny. Being born at the right time is better than being born at the wrong time. When I heard that the Kangguo Attendant was famous, I was already a married woman for many years and had a daughter. Wasn’t I older than him? It’s never too late.”
Chu Yao smiled broadly: "That's exactly right."
Mental state and understanding are the most important on the path of cultivation.
The girl was clearly insightful.
A moment of enlightenment can be equivalent to more than ten years of arduous practice for others.
It's never too late; the worst thing is not even starting.
My old friend sighed deeply, indicating that he wasn't very good at taking things in stride.
Chu Yao's satisfaction with his great-granddaughter put his mind at ease, at least giving him a good start. There were some things he needed to tell Chu Yao beforehand, lest Chu Yao be deceived by his great-granddaughter's innocent appearance, so he emphasized that she had some of the virtues inherited from her ancestors.
This "legacy" does not refer to talent.
To put it bluntly, it's somewhat unethical.
Chu Yao: "..."
The old friend said with considerable difficulty, "If she is fortunate enough to receive your guidance in the future, please let her practice her mind more. I don't know if it's because she has lived in seclusion for many years, or because she has been with an old man like me, but she is somewhat different from ordinary people in terms of human nature, it's really..."
"Different from ordinary people?"
"A while ago, I persuaded an old woman to dismember her children's bodies."
Chu Yao: "???"
It sounds terrifying at first, but then it sounds very familiar.
Isn't this the trigger for the recent turmoil?
Chu Yao asked, "Your idea?"
The girl smiled, her eyes crinkling: "What do you think, Uncle?"
Chu Yao offered no comment: "How did you come up with that idea?"
"Don't gamble on the inherent goodness of people's hearts, but gamble on the inherent evil of people's hearts."
"Indeed, it has the legacy of our ancestors."
The girl shook her head and said, "If I were them, I would never have ended up being torn apart by five horses at the execution ground. If our ancestors truly believed that all people are evil, how could they have sincerely trusted a cowardly, incompetent, mean, and ungrateful ruler? If they had been truly vigilant, they would not have been captured. It would have been a shame to have such talent and ability wasted at the hands of the enemy."
To stubbornly stick to one's own opinion even when one knows things are going wrong is foolish loyalty.
It is foolish to let an incompetent ruler bring ruin to one's entire family.
Her great-grandfather always said that she had inherited the style of her ancestors, but after getting to know her better, she felt that the assessment was untrue, and even thought that her great-grandfather was joking.
The girl's words were actually unappealing, and to Chu Yao, an old friend who knew her ancestors, they wouldn't win her any favor; in fact, they might even backfire. She knew this, yet she still spoke the truth.
Chu Yao's reaction was unexpected by the girl.
"Those involved are often confused, while bystanders see clearly. The player in the game can see the whole picture, while the player who is deeply involved can only see a part of it," Chu Yao sighed. "That's one point. The second point is that you think too highly of scholars. Even a second-rank scholar with a good mind is just a commoner with some tricks up his sleeve. He can't resist a royal court, even a tiny one."
It's clear, but there's no escaping it.
Those oddballs in Kangguo were heretics.
"Thirdly, it is hard to leave one's homeland. Although Chu is small, it is still one's hometown. You were born and raised in a foreign land, so you naturally do not understand the significance of Chu to your ancestors. Some people choose a good tree to perch on, while others stubbornly try to save a collapsing building, even if it means dying in vain."
For such people, life is the least valuable thing.
You can disagree, but you can't say it's wrong.
Chu Yao could understand.
If Kangguo were to reach that point, he would be willing to die for his country.
A hint of disbelief flashed in the girl's eyes.
Chu Yao said gently, "Don't think too much about it, it's all in the past."
"Are you hungry after your long journey? The kitchen has prepared everything, let's eat first." Chu Yao hadn't expected the person who came up with the idea to be the descendant of an old friend. There was no rush, and he planned to bring it up with his master tomorrow. As he sat down, the guards brought over several large boxes.
The box contained some local specialties.
Most of them are not very expensive, but they are clearly made with care.
Chu Yao patted his forehead: "Look at my memory."
He almost forgot that he had a disciple named Tu Rong, whose age was a good match for the young woman, and who was also his son-in-law, capable of fulfilling his marriage agreement with his friend. But he didn't plan to bring it up directly; marriage between children should be left to fate. Of his two half-disciples, Tu Rong, Lin Feng, and Yu Zi, apart from Yu Zi who showed some promise but died young, the other two were clearly not very bright.
Let's see how fate works.
Based on his many years of experience as a single man, he knew that single life with children was indeed comfortable. Just then, his half-son-in-law arrived with a friend. The moment they reached the front door, a loud voice boomed into the hall: "Teacher, look what I brought you!"
Chu Yaochong said to his old friend, "It is my disciple Xianrong."
The old friend's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Disciple?"
He was clearly somewhat tempted.
The girl remained unmoved.
When the young man came in, the old friend's eyes lit up even more, as if he could write on his face, "This is the great-grandson-in-law of my dreams!"
They overlooked the fact that there was someone behind the young man.
Chu Yao noticed him immediately and stood up to greet him.
"Why has Your Excellency come here?"
The old friend was puzzled and tried to recall which of Kangguo this person was.
Kang State had been established for many years, yet the number of people holding noble titles could be counted on one hand, completely forgetting that the other party's title of "Lord" was likely due to their own strength. Gongyang Yongye said, "Take a consultation for your apprentice."
Chu Yao: "..."
No, Gongyang Yongye's medical skills did not specialize in andrology.
(︶.︶)
I want to yell at the fruit shop in my neighborhood. I bought a bag of oranges, and three out of the ten oranges tasted off.
(End of this chapter)
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